In the RIGHT TONE

A palette of extraordinary colours has made Ana Engelhorn's 17th-century farmhouse absolutely fabulous

-  RUTH CORBETT

WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THIS HOUSE?

My background is in property development: buying properties that I can renovate, upgrading the bones of the building and transforming the interior. I am drawn to properties where simple changes can be hugely effective - very much the case here.

TELL US YOUR PRIORITIES.

The house was not fully used, as the previous family's children had moved away. My priority was to make each room usable, creating dedicated areas for different activities, with the kitchen as the central hub.

WAS THE HOUSE IN GOOD CONDITION?

It had been added to many times, but not in a way that took the building's history and structure into account, so the condition was not great. It was important to lift the floors and re-do the electrical and mechanical pipes. Now all the services are nicely hidden behind walls and underneath flooring.